Collection policy was Re: No space for vinatge computers in

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun May 25 16:09:00 2003

> TeoZ wrote:
>
> > Like I said before museums have static displays for reasons of power
> > requirements, lack of personnel that can run the machines, spare parts that
> > are expensive and hard to find, and the fact that a screwup during operation
> > could actually destroy one of the few remaining examples (or only one).
>
> But what is destroyed? Only the functionaliity, the physical machine can
> still be used as a static display

Agreed. It's almost unheard-of for a machine to catch fire, or for
components to physically explode while just in use...

However, I would add that the _first_ time a machine is powered up after
not being run for some time, you need to take things slowly and
carefully. As in checking the PSUs on dummy load (this has saved me many
hours of hunting for difficult-to-find chips!), checking for shorts
between power rails, and so on. NEVER just apply power to an unknown
machine unless you have much better luck than me :-)

Also, as has been mentioned here in the past, make (and keep) backups of
all ROMs, PALs, etc. It is entirely possible that components will fail
when the machine is in use, and it's a good idea to make it as easy to
replace them as possible (it's easier to burn an image into an EPROM than
to first have to hunt for somebody with the same model of machine :-))

-tony
Received on Sun May 25 2003 - 16:09:00 BST